Life in a sea of brake lights

Cars on a Manhattan street. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Spencer Platt

74: That's how many hours on average New Yorkers waste in traffic each year. New York commuters sit amid brake lights more than most, behind only Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute says.

Traffic congestion highlights the need for better public transportation and more infrastructure dollars. That should mean investing in superior trains and tracks, and improved roads and bridges. Until then, drive safely, even when your foot's mostly on the brake.